It’s the same in our personal lives. If your spouse or a friend asks you what you want to do this weekend, you might suggest seeing a movie. They often don’t just say yes. They say, “Ah, but it’s supposed to be so nice this weekend. Why don’t we do something else?” Or “Oh yeah, but this other thing would be more fun.” They think about all the reasons that your suggestion is wrong.

Instead of suggesting one thing—and this is a subtle shift but an important one—give people multiple options. Instead of one thing, give them two. Instead of “Let’s go see a movie,” try “We could go see a movie or we could go out for Chinese food.” Instead of “Hey, buy this product,” try “You might want to check out this one or this other one.”